MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – The Wheaton College (Mass.) women's soccer team was defeated by host No. 23 Middlebury College, 3-1, this afternoon at Dragone Field in Middlebury, Vt.

The Lyons fall to 3-2 on the season, while the Panthers, who are ranked in the nation by the United Soccer Coaches, improve to 2-1. 

Despite Middlebury outshooting Wheaton, 17-2, in the opening half the teams were tied at 1-1 after the first 45 minutes of play. The Panthers owned a 26-4 shot margin for the contest.

Middlebury looked to crack the scoring column in the eighth minute of the game when junior forward Joely Virzi (Cincinnati, Ohio) struck a curling right footed shot that looked destined for the top left corner, but was denied by a flying save from first year Lyons' goalkeeper Patricia Bandrup (Poway, Calif.), as she dove to her right to punch the ball away, keeping the score at 0-0. 

Wheaton's senior forward Sadie Recht (Los Angeles, Calif.) then found herself alone in front of goal just four minutes later, but was denied by a sprawling leg save by Panthers' sophomore keeper Lucy VanNewkirk (Seattle, Wash.).

The Lyons got on the board first in the 13th minute to take a 1-0 edge. First year forward Kate Wickenheisser (Oxford, Conn.) broke through the Middlebury back line, in the 18-yard box. Her initial effort was stopped by the Panthers' keeper, but the ball ricocheted into the Middlebury net and was credited as a Middlebury own goal.

The Panthers responded quickly, scoring just 51 seconds later to knot the contest at 1-1. Junior forward Ella Gagnon (Belmont, Mass.) and sophomore midfielder Sophia Cole (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) quickly split through the defense with a combination play in the offensive zone. After a cutback across the box from Gagnon, Cole found herself one-on-one with the goalie and slotted the ball past the Wheaton goalie to even the score at one apiece in the 14th minute.

Middlebury looked to add to its first half lead with 20 minutes remaining in the first half, but was denied by Bandrup. Virzi one-timed a corner kick by senior back Ellie Bavier (Cambridge, Mass.), but the shot hit the left post and deflected back into play. Junior midfielder Emma Binks (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) sent the rebound towards the goal, but Bandrup was there to thwart the close-range attempt and keep the game tied 1-1.

The Panthers went more than 47 minutes without another goal until they scored twice in a matter of 57 seconds to take a 3-1 margin with 28:22 to play in the match. Middlebury was finally able to tack on another score in the half to give the home team a 2-1 edge in the 61st minute of play. Junior midfielder Carolyn Days (Arlington, Mass.) broke away down the right side of the pitch and whipped a low cross through the 18 yard box. Her cross found the feet of sophomore forward Elizabeth Jack (Ashland, Mass.), who slid the ball past the keeper and into the net for the 2-1 edge. The Panthers made it 3-1 less than a minute later, as sophomore midfielder Cate Woolsey (New York, N.Y.) found the ball at her feet in the six-yard box and was able to beat the goalkeeper to the bottom-left corner.

Bandrup finished with 10 saves for the Lyons, while VanNewkirk stopped two of three shots she faced in the first half for Middlebury, before yielding to junior goalie Carolyn Kelley (Westborough, Mass.), who gained the win with a save in the second session.

The Lyons return to action on Saturday, September 17 when they travel to Babson Park, Mass. to open New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference play with Babson College at 1:00 p.m., while the Panthers head to Plattsburgh, N.Y. to take on Plattsburgh State on September 14 at 7:00 p.m.